2 Anecdotes from the Uhrenindustriemuseum/Schwenningen

Working time

When flexible working hours were not yet customary, the laborers, foremen and sometimes even whole departments met inside the working place or in the locker rooms to have a little ”chat” before work started. Working problems were the major subject of discussion most of the time. This way everyone kept informed and had the distinct feeling of belonging.
Sometimes however, the discussions became heated and more than once turned into regular fights. As it was the case at the Wuerttemberg Clock Factory when the dispute was about football and one of the guys screamed at the other: ”you stupid ox, whatever you seem to think you are, I have been much longer”.

The lost finger

At the ISGUS press operation, one of the press workers lost his middle finger in the press. This rather sad accident turned into an often told company legend. It is reported that the worker fished his finger out of the press (nowadays in surgery, it could of course be sewed back on) he threw it out the window while hollering: ”Out you go, now I have no use for you anymore”. He probably continued working after that, although an actual report has not been handed down.

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